Maynard Johnny was born in Campbell River in 1973. His heritage is Coast Salish and Kwak’waka’wakw. His colourful paintings blend cultural traditions in a unique contemporary style. He is a self-taught artist that has been influenced by many great Northwest Coast Native artists. His work has been widely recognized. In 2021 he was awarded a commission to design a painting for the exterior of a new BC ferry. Maynard Johnny Jr also received a First Nations Art Award from the BC Achievement Foundation for artistic excellence in traditional, contemporary or media art.